The Value of Being Adventurous
by Tangy.Clem
Summary: During one of their little night escapes, Newt Scamander and Leta Lestrange are confronted with an unexpected choice : Getting back to their respective dormitory or not...
1. Chapter 1

Newt was running breathlessly in the courtyard of the castle. At his heels, Leta followed him closely, her boots crisscrossing the gravel under her feet.  
"Come back here! Stop!" a hoarse voice shrieked from the gardens.  
Fortunately, the castle's heavy double entrance door had remained open. Undoubtedly the old Picott, the caretaker of Hogwarts, had forgotten to close it when he went out on his beat. And now the poor man was running after two young runaways who cheerfully used his carelessness to flee from him.

In the Entrance Hall which was particularly dark because of the _extinguished torches_ , Newt stopped abruptly before being hit hard by Leta who couldn't anticipate this sudden stop. Forcing himself to keep calm, the young man made a quick examination of the situation. There was the great marble staircase leading to the upper floors in front of them. The temptation was great to take it in order to hide into the labyrinth of corridors of the 1st floor. Only, Picott would have the same idea as them and follow them for sure. Not the staircase, then. On the East wall was the door leading to the dungeons and thus, among other things, to the Slytherin common room. The worst idea for place to hide; No doubt, if Picott didn't choose the staircase, the old caretaker would run into the Slytherins. To the south, the door leading to Hufflepuff common room and kitchens. Newt knew very well that the kitchens were often lively, whatever the hour of day or night, so there was a great risk of encountering someone capable of giving the alarm by passing that door. All that remained was the great dark door, to the right, the one leading to the Great Hall... But where to hide in this place ? Hearing the steps of the caretaker approaching dangerously, Newt turned desperately towards Leta. The latter knew Newt's thoughts and understood the problem he was facing with the simple glance that the young man threw to her. She lowered her eyes wildly before looking into the eyes of the young man, her face illuminated by a sudden saving idea.

"The Chamber of Reception." Whispered the young woman  
Immediately Newt, blessing her friend's lively and inventive mind, took her hand and dragged her all the way to the Great Hall. The huge room was illuminated only by the starry ceiling. At the back, behind the professors table, there was a small door, almost invisible. The couple rushed to it. The room was no larger than a child's bedroom. The floor was covered with dust, a large stone fireplace occupied the half of the space and many paintings carpeted almost all the walls.

Out of breath, the two young teens froze, waiting for any suspicious noise coming from the Great Hall. A minute passed, the silence only punctuated by their breaths when suddenly a nasal voice emerged.

"Hey! You, what are you doing here ?!"  
The two students turned their faces abruptly towards an old dark painting on their left, a little higher than the boy's head. A man with a mad look, an aquiline nose and messy hair looked at them with suspicious eyes. On the frame was engraved in gold letters : __Boris__ _the Bewildered_.  
"Students are not allowed in this room! Get out! Get out now!  
-Please, a little less noise..." Newt begged him with a sincere and respectful look.  
"Less noise?! You have a hell of a nerve young man!  
-I beg you...  
-It's a serious breach of Hogwarts rules!"  
"Please, Mister... Mister _the Bewildered_."  
-Don't call me like that!" The man yelled, louder than ever.  
Leta turned toward him and threw him a dark look.  
"Will he shut up?" She snapped, her teeth clenched.  
"How can this girl dare to speak like that to a man like me?"  
Resigned, Newt approached the painting and turned it face down against the wall stifling the cries of the noisy _Boris_ the Bewildered.

The minutes went by fast without any noise suggesting that Picott had come in the Great Hall. Newt, shattering his almost perfect immobility that he had held since he had returned the painting, slightly opened the door of the antechamber in order to take a look in the Great Hall. Everything was quiet, there was _no trace of a_ living being .  
"He must have gone upstairs..." He whispered, closing the door. His gaze turned towards Leta. The latter wore a broad smile. Unable to restrain himself any longer, the young man burst out laughing. An infectious laugh which also won the young woman.  
"Oh my God, Newt... You should have seen your face when we heard Picott earlier!  
-What about you! Your face turned white in a split second!"

The couple kept laughing in silence, releasing the tension stored in their bodies since their crazy race in the park of the castle.  
"Well... Anyway, we finally found this augureys nest..." Newt sighed, a little more quiet. "We'll come back to it next week..."  
-Did you notice? There were two small birds." Leta said, leaning against one of the walls to help her to remain some calm.  
"Yes I did! It is so rare! I didn't think that it was possible to find a nest in the park..."

A complete silence fell in the small room then Newt straightened up.  
"Well... I... I'll go first. Just wait a few minutes before getting back in the dungeons."  
He opened the door again, glanced outside and then turned towards Leta. He approached her and took her hands in his.  
In November 1912, Newt and Leta were in fifth year and were respectively 15 and 14 years old (although the girl claimed she already was 15, being born at the end of the calendar year). The two young people had known each other for four years. Four long and at the same time so short years to grow together, laugh together, cry together. Their nocturnal escapes, as well as their many experiences and discoveries, had forged among them an unfailing friendship which, for both of them, had saved them from a deep loneliness. A friendship punctuated by tender gestures, embraces and sweet words. Were they lovers? They didn't really think about it, they were still children after all. Friends who loved being close to each other, that's what they were. The mature society and its stifling carcans would soon judge their relationship amoral. A kind of relationship at such a young age, escaping parental gazes and so close to sinking into human sins... That wasn't done! _Whatever, we do nothing wrong!_ Thought Newt and Leta together.  
Since a few months, they used to kiss each night before joining their respective dormitories. First kisses on the cheeks then on the lips. An evolution without calculation, quite natural.

Recently, Newt surpassed Leta by a few centimeters. A height difference that was born during the summer on the occasion of a spurt of growth of the young man. The latter, his hands still in Leta's, lowered his head and put his lips on hers. The kiss, at first chaste, became more and more intense. Leta moved slightly closer to Newt and the latter felt his cheeks flush. An intense feeling of well being was born deep inside his belly. Leta put an end to the kiss. Without moving back, she lowered her eyes, seeming suddenly shy. Newt, meanwhile, recognized a feeling he felt for a few weeks now every time Leta put her lips on his mouth ; Frustration. Unlike to previous years, the young man, if he had to choose, would never have put an end to one of their kisses. Unfortunately, daily life in a Scottish boarding school at the beginning of the 20th century didn't often give him the choice. Whether the school is magic or not, there were rules and especially morals to respect under penalty sanctions...  
Newt, frustrated and red-faced at the same time, took Leta in his arms to avoid crossing her eyes.  
"Hm... I have to go..." He whispered before starting to back off. Leta's voice stopped him in his movement.  
"Or... Or else..." The young girl has begun to stutter, in a shrill voice.  
"Yes?" Newt rushed to take over, too happy to stay a few more seconds with his friend.  
"Doesn't matter.  
-Tell me!" The young man heartened her with a wharm smile.  
"No, it's stupid."

Acting so shy wasn't in the habit of Leta. Newt felt fascinated. Which thought made her so embarrassed? The curious mind of the young man would have given everything to discover this mystery. On the other hand, Newt didn't want to make Leta more mortified than she was already, and decided not to insist, regretfully.  
"Ok. So... Have a good night, see you tomorrow." He gently stroked her cheek then turned. Scarcely had he made a few steps in the Great Hall than he heard again Leta's shy voice.  
"Or else we do not go back to our dormitories..." It was an almost inaudible whisper.  
Newt's heart suddenly accelerated. He looked at her.  
"What... What?  
-Oh! Uh... No, it's just that... Actually, it's always too hot in my dormitory and... Well... Magdalena snores and... " There the girl panicked as she realized what she was saying to his friend. Feeling Newt's gaze on her, she lowered her eyes again. "Sorry. That's... Wrong."

Newt, disregarding any embarrassment, shyness or propriety, rushed to Leta and took her hands again.  
"No! No... It's... That's good..." He'd have liked to appear confident and reassure her with a masculine authority, but he couldn't. His voice was just as hesitant as the young woman's one.  
"It's not done..." she whispered again.  
"That doesn't matter..."  
Everything was said. It wasn't a big deal. A small grin appeared on Leta's lips.  
"I... I figured that Picott didn't recognize us anyway, he won't check our dorms so... It doesn't change anything.  
-Right."

Their whispers stopped and a complete silence fell again in the small room. What to do now? What to say? Newt had no idea how to act in such a situation. He felt his hands were more and more sweaty and he bit his lips mechanically, an old habit he had when he was in stressful situation of any kind. As he began to think seriously about taking to his heels and leaving this place as soon as possible, _Boris_ the Bewildered's cries resonated in the small room from his painting, always turned towards the wall.  
"Well, we're not gonna stay here all night, aren't we?" He smiled. Relieved to hear the sound of his voice, Leta gazed into his eyes and smiled too. "Where are we going ?" He asked.  
"The Room of Requirement?" Leta suggested After a moment of reflection.  
"Perfect!"


	2. Chapter 2

In front of the Room of Requirement and after have crossed silently the castle, Newt and Leta stopped.

"What are we supposed to think about?" Asked naively Leta without realizing the irony of the situation.  
"Uh... A... A place where we could... Uh... Sleep I suppose. We may have some... Dorms... " Newt replied, an embarrassed smile hanging over his lips.  
The young couple closed their eyes then a large wrought iron door appeared on the blank wall..  
The opened on a large and colored blanket fort. The floor was covered with thick mattresses on which were dispersed many covers with different textures, as well as dozens of cushions of all sizes. In the middle of the fort, a thin curtain was stretched to delimit two sleeping areas. On the left side there were cotton jersey sky blue pajamas. On the right side, instead of the pajamas, there was a large white flannel nightgown. Dozens of small candles floated in the air, difusing a soft light throughout the room. A familiar _scent_ of bergamot, wood and vanilla was in the _air_.

Leta, amazed by this amazing interior, could no longer restrain her excitement.  
"It's awesome!" She exclaimed as she joyfully went around the fort.  
Newt, more reserved by nature than her, smiled widely as he walked to inspect the structure more closely. Both of them felt, at this time, a deep relief. Without admitting it to each other, they had feared the same thing; To find in the Room of Requirement a romantic master bedroom with a grand, four-poster bed covered by white sheets.A room that wouldn't give them any choice, which would have placed them in a situation they weren't quite sure to like yet. Fortunatelly for the young couple there was no trace of all that, instead, a joyful, carefree, almost childish setting. A blanket fort where everyone could, as he feels like, sleep alone or not...

Leta joined Newt in the fort. The young man was seated on the left side, she sat cross-legged, facing him, pulling lightly the thin curtain that held them separated.  
"You had the best idea, it's perfect here..." said Newt.  
"I thought Hufflepuff dorms were charming places...  
-Not as much as here." Replied the young man, feeling his face blush again.

For an hour, the two young people talked about this ad that, especially about their discoveries and fantastic beasts living around Hogwarts.  
"What time is it?" Leta asked after a while.  
Newt took out of his trousers, a small silver-plated pocket watch, a present from his father for his fifteenth birthday. The white guilloche dial showed an already late hour.  
"It's past midnight." Replied Newt, putting the watch into his pocket with caution. "We'd better sleep now or we'll be exhausted tomorrow." Leta nodded.

The young man closed the curtain which, despite its thinness was opaque enough to allow the two young people to undress without embarrassment. Very soon, Newt put on the pajamas which were carefully folded at his side. Once ready, he slipped under the covers. The bed was soft and warm. He turned over on his left.

Newt gasped as he saw the vision in front of him. There were more candles on Leta's side than on his side so her shadow was reflected on the linen curtain. The young man bit his lip, watching Leta releasing her hair from the many pins that held her bun in place before running her fingers through her thick, curly hair. Then, still quietly, the girl took off her earrings, discreet little pearls inherited from her grandmother.  
Newt thought that she certainly didn't know that her shadow was reflected throughout the fort. _If she knew..._ He thought, feeling suddenly very guilty of stealing this beautiful show. However, his guilt grew stronger when Leta started to take off her witch dress. Touching her hips with her hands, she grabbed the fabric of her cloth and removed it wearing a simple white singlet.  
As electrocuted, Newt closed his eyelids forcefully. He had no right to do that, to watch Leta undress like that. It was a serious matter, he couldn't do this. What would her mother think, this strong woman who had given him such an honest education... His father would be very angry with him, would certainly reproach him for this so misleading behavior. And his big brother ... The so virtuous Theseus... He would be ashamed of this little brother unable to repress the least of his animal desires for sure. Leta. So beautiful and so pure. He was defiling her with his perverse thoughts. Newt was annoyed at what he had just watch and more, he was mad with what he felt. An intense heat reaching his stomach and lower abdomen. A slight noise forced him to come back to hearth and he opened his eyes almost in spite of himself.  
The girl's silhouette was now completely naked. Under the weight of desire mixed with a strong feeling of guilt, Newt's face deformed into a strange grin. Being able to look at the shadow of her two breasts that seemed so perfect to him was something he had never dared to hope for. Leta stretched, got up and walked a few steps to reach the flannel nightgown, still folded at the foot of her bed. She put it on, gently as to enjoy the soft sensation of the fabric on her skin. Then, more quickly, she went to bed.

The young man remained frozen for a moment, curled up under his blanket.  
"Newt. Are you asleep?"  
The voice aroused _him_ from _his torpor._  
"Huh? Uh no." More than a reply, a grumble of hoarse voices. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "No no."  
The young woman surprised him, squeezing without any warning, her head beyond the curtain.  
" Have a good night." She said in a big smile, her teeth white and perfectly aligned shining in the dim light of the room. Uncomfortable, Newt prayed to properly conceal his emotion and returned her smile, a little more forced.  
"Good night."

Then, slowly, he approached her, cuped her face in his hands and chastely put his lips on those of the young woman. After a few seconds, when Newt opened his eyes he noticed that Leta's eyes were still closed. The young woman layed still, he stepped back.  
"Sleep well, see you tomorrow." He whispered as he lay down again.

The young woman sighed and returned to her side of the fort. They extinguished the candles. As Newt, comfortably settled, struggled between his desires and his contradictory thoughts, he noticed that Leta had put her right arm just beside the curtain, so close that a part of her hand remained on his side. Without thinking twice, to his great astonishment, he seized that hand in his.  
"Are you allright?" asked Leta innocently.  
No doubt she had felt the dampness and trembling of Newt's hand. The latter immediately regretted this simple gesture of affection but didn't move.  
"Yes, it's okay. I just got a little hot, that's all." He answered in a half-lie.

The minutes went by, the sound of raindrops on the window filling the silence of the room.  
"You sleep?" The girl's voice was soft and kind of shy.  
"Not yet."  
Newt felt Leta's body coming closer to their joined hand and snuggled against them. He could now feel her belly lifting and lowering at each of her deep breaths. The young Hufflepuff couldn't take it any longer. He took Letta's hand and kissed each of her fingers gently. Leta crawled past the curtain and curled up against Newt's chest. Not daring to look at her in her thin nightgown, the young man raised his eyes to the ceiling, welcoming his friend in his arms. He swallowed and breathed deeply.  
 _Calm down, it's just a hug..._ He thought to himself.

But, in spite of everything, he had to admit it : To feel the firm body of Leta, freed from all the usual thick fabrics, against his own body caused in him the sweetest sensations.  
Why fighting? How? Why, he was aware of it; Because it was contrary to morality and in breach of good morals. The fleshly love of two teenagers from different classes, out of wedlock... Biggest sin. But how? How could they do otherwise? Newt had no idea.

He huged Leta a little harder against him and laid one of his hands on her waist. In this embrace, the young woman raised her face and kissed Newt's jaw.  
"We are not allowed to do this, are we?" Leta whispered.  
"I don't think so." replied the young man.  
Then he lowered his gaze, looked in her eyes, smiled tenderly at her and kissed her lips. The kiss soon became more sensual, more heated. Their teeth clashed, and as if it was by surprise, their tongues joined each other. Without any model or real education about "the thing", neither of the two teenagers knew if this kind of kisses was appropriate but... These new sensations pleased them so why stop? Their gestures were hesitant, their movements were awkward.  
The kiss ended when Leta let out a sigh of pleasure. Not daring to cross her gaze again, Newt curled a little more and laid his lips on the girl's neck. Leta took a deep breath and closed her eyes to concentrate on the little noises that reached her ear. The drops against the window, the wind in the leaves, the storm away, Newt's kisses and his deep, jerky breathing. She bit her lips, blushed and put a hand on the boy's back. If only she had dared to slip it on his skin, under his pajamas as she dreamed...

Feeling more adventurous, thanks to the Leta's temerity, Newt, his lips still sealed on her neck, lowered his arm and laid his hand on the bare skin of the back of her knee. He felt her shiver but didn't detect any resistance so he kept going on his exploration. Leta's skin was soft and warm, her hair smelled a subtle blend of citrus and spices. His hand traveled on her leg, her knee and then stopped on her thigh. Leta, whose nightgown had now hiked to her pelvis, felt a new feeling of moistness invade her whole being. Eager to enjoy her friend's hot skin too, she put an adventurous hand under Newt's jersey. She softly rubbed his skin. His stomach was hot and firm, contracted by laborious breaths.

As the minutes went by, exploration continued. He kissed her forehead, her temple, her cheekbone and then her lips. She caressed his stomach, his back and his hips. No glances, no words, no less laughter. The moment was as serious as it was delicious. No cries, no mad enjoyment, only new and very sweet experiences. They were still children after all. No carnal act as any one usually hears, that night, Newt and Leta played only with their hands and their thoughts. No uncovering too shameless places, this wasn't their priority. No rush. Besides, they kept their nightclothes.  
Naturally, passions went soften, bodies calmed down. The two teenagers, full of discoveries, remained huddled together, forgetting the world around them.  
"Will we come back one night?" Leta asked in a sleepy whisper.  
"Yes, that would be good ..." Newt yawned.

Thus, for the first time (and not last), Leta Lestrange and Newt Scamander, fail asleep together, in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, a cold night of November 1912...


End file.
